syria. any progress? >> reporter: good afternoon. secretary clinton met with russia's top diplomat and with the special envoy to the syrian crisis who said nothing sensational came out of it. but clinton and the russian foreign minister did agree to try to find some, quote, creative ways to end the bloodshed. and it looks like russia's stedfast support for assad could be nearing its end. the influential russian lawmaker who is tight with vladimir putin said, quote, we have shared and do share the opinion that the existing government in syria should carry out its functions, but time has shown its task is beyond its strength. back in washington, a spokesman for secretary clinton warned of the perils that the syrian people would confront even in a post assad era. >> we know these groups, al-qaeda and others, troy to take advantage of the environment assad has fostered over the last year or so. it is important that they -- that the syrian people get a government out of all of this that is repres